The european research icebreaker AURORA BOREALIS : conceptual design study - summary report = Der europäische Forschungseisbrecher AURORA BOREALIS : Konzeptioneller Schiffsentwurf - Abschlussbericht

摘要

SUMMARYudDedicated research vessels that are capable to operate during all seasons ofudthe year and under unfavourable weather conditions in the central Arctic Oceanudand in the Southern Ocean are required to fulfil the new needs of polar oceanudresearch for all marine disciplines. Today, no available research vessel hasudthese required capabilities. Thus, the initiative was taken to develop a novel anduddedicated research icebreaker with technical capabilities hitherto unrealised,udwhich will enable the vessel to autonomously operate in the Arctic Ocean evenudduring the severest ice conditions in the deep winter serving all marine disciplinesudof polar research including deep-sea drilling: The AURORA BOREALIS.udThe technical conceptual design of this research icebreaker with scientific deepseauddrilling capability AURORA BOREALIS is summarised in this report.udAURORA BOREALIS is planned to be a „European scientific flagship facility‟udopen to non-European partners, a multidisciplinary platform for studies rangingudfrom the sub-seafloor into the atmosphere. The ability of AURORA BOREALISudto penetrate into the harshest conditions on Earth and to carry out research inudthe polar winter can set new standards in the fields of polar research and navaludarchitecture, including environmental safety and sustainability of the highestudstandards. Currently, no polar research vessel has the capability to autonomouslyudoperate in pack ice outside the optimal ice conditions of the late summerudseason. AURORA BOREALIS, in contrast, is planned as a multi-purpose icebreakingudresearch vessel for Arctic and Antarctic operations with the capabilityudto autonomously navigate in sea-ice with a thickness of more than 2.5 metres.udThis will for the first time facilitate year-round research, e.g. on the nature ofudglobal environmental change.udThe ship shall have the unique capability to perform scientific deep-sea drillingudoperations in water depths between 100 and 5000 metres with a penetration ofudmore than 1000 metres into the seafloor, even while being located amid driftingudpack-ice fields. To perform these drilling operations AURORA BOREALIS has toudbe kept exactly on position. A dynamic positioning system capable for manoeuvringudand staying on position in drifting sea-ice is mandatory for this task –udan absolute novelty in the shipping industry. Another unique characteristic ofudAURORA BOREALIS are the two moon pools (7 x 7 meters each) in the midstudof the hull that reach into the water below the vessel and enable scientists touddeploy equipment into the ocean without being subject to wind, waves and ice.udThe aft moon pool is mainly dedicated to drilling operations, while the forwardudmoon pool is reserved for most other scientific equipment. This allows as a firstudthe deployment of very sensitive and expensive equipment, e.g. remotely operatedud(ROVʼs) or autonomous (AUVʼs) underwater vehicles within completelyudclosed sea ice cover. Scientific laboratories are located on several decksudaround the moon pool, which is designed in an atrium-like shape with circularudwalkways and preparation areas. In order to optimally equip the ship even forudmission specific expeditions, containerized laboratories can be also loaded hereudand become fully integrated into the scientific workflow on board.